Vincent Nightray (ヴィンセント ナイトレイ, Binsento Naitorei) is the younger brother of Gilbert Nightray and is a member of the Baskerville Clan by birth right. Vincent was born as a Child of Ill Omen, which lead him and his brother down a dark path because of the legends surrounding his red eye. Thinking that Gilbert would be able to live a happy life if it wasn't for him, Vincent is easily manipulated by Jack Vessalius and Miranda Barma into initiating the Tragedy of Sablier. After spending around 85 years in the Abyss, Vincent managed to escape and convince Bernard Nightray to adopt him and his brother into the Nightray Dukedom. Around this time, Vincent also formed an Illegal Contract with Demios the Executioner, later using her power to assassinate members of the Nightray Dukedom in order to protect Gilbert. In doing this, he become the Head Hunter. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Vincent also formed a Legal Contract with Dormouse and joined Pandora in order to deter suspicion. Currently, Vincent is working alongside Oswald so that he can have his existence erased from history; thereby granting Vincent's wish.

He appears as a young man of about 23 years old, and is around 177 cm in height [1]. He has long blond hair that reaches around his waist. There is a cross on his uniform on the left side, which is matched by Elliot and Gilbert's at Isla Yura's party, suggesting this is a symbol of the Nightray household. He has one crimson eye on his right side (the symbol of a Child of Ill Omen), while his left eye is the same golden yellow as Gilbert's, which means that he possesses heterochromatic eyes. [2]

Vincent calculating and cold manner, as shows when he plays chess game with Oscar Vessalius

Personality

Vincent is both calculating and cold in personality. Once he has set his mind to an action, he'll stop at nothing to
achieve his aims. For example, his obsession over Gilbert's happiness has led to him desiring to give his brother a world without him [3], as he blames himself for their mother abandoning them both [4] and his involvement in the Tragedy of Sablier[5] which he believes has lead to Gilbert's current unhappiness [6]. It appears that he lacks empathy towards other human beings, and only experiences guilt when his brother is involved. The only incident where we see him display regret outside of this is over his adopted brother, Elliot, whom he states was his favorite. [7]

This detachment continues to Vincent's love life. He admits himself that he has 'shared the beds' of several high-class women and felt nothing but hatred, pity and disgust for all of them and their trusting natures. He goes further to say that he dislikes women, making him somewhat of a misogynist. [8] It's likely that his mother caused an inability to trust women at all [4]. His current victim is Ada Vessalius , who is the only example of someone able to unnerve and surprise him. Although he's irritated by her naïve tendencies, he continues to spend time with her. [9]

He has sadistic tendencies, which include a predisposition towards torture [10]. There is a strong possibility he has some form of obsessive compulsive disorder, displayed frequently in his destruction of stuffed animals, bedding and curtains with a pair of silver and gold scissors, or any pair just lying around. [11] Each of these disorders are likely due to post-traumatic stress, induced by his experiences one-hundred years prior to the story's time line, where he was exposed to countless deaths and scenes of gore at an extremely young age. [12]

Throughout the manga he shows strong ideals of loyalty towards family, displaying extreme disgust over Duke Nightray's use of his wife and children as bait and as experiments for his own personal gain.[13] As a child he was deeply scarred by the discrimination against his red eye. He only became comfortable about it after Jack Vessalius cut his fringe and claimed to love it. [14] This was not before the Intention of the Abyss (In Alice's body) incurred his hatred for it in a comment about its meaning. He displayed extreme hatred of the Intention of the Abyss after his brother attacked her for bringing it up so harshly; after which she went and sobbed to Jack, who had only wanted to bring her company. He decided that she was his enemy, both for causing Gilbert to become violent and for making Jack feel even worse. [15]

Powers and Abilities

Sleep: Using Dormouse, he can put his opponent to sleep, but because he hasn't mastered his chain yet he has trouble controlling it [16]. Because of this, Vincent often falls asleep himself, which is shown when he is found asleep in one of the Pandora corridors [17] and later, during an important conversation with the Baskervilles. [18]

Markmanship - Vincent has shown good use in using guns. This was shown when one day when Gilbert was practicing with his gun, Vincent followed him and asked him if he can use his gun. Afterwards, Vincent practiced for only two more months before surpassing Gilbert, who had been training for a year during that time. [22]

Chain

Dormouse is Vincent's chain. It resembles the sleeping mouse, known as the dormouse in Alice in Wonderland but is much bigger. Dormouse has a toy-like tuner on its back and has stitch-closed eyes. It is always seen asleep and also makes its contractor, Vincent, sleepy. [23]

Demios is Vincent's Illegal chain, and is also known as the Queen of Hearts and Head Hunter. Demios is a large, female, skeletal, goat-like chain. Demios has two thick antlers and a tattered cape, which cast a shadow to give it a female appearence, hence the nickname Queen of Hearts. [19]

"I really liked you. You were nothing like your brothers... You were the only one.. It was only thanks to you that....Gil managed to live in that house without forgetting how to smile. Thank you." [28]

"I want Gilbert to stay in the sunshine forever. I want to give him a past... without me in it."[35]

To Bernard Nightray

"You've let your own son die for the honor of you household and other such rubbish. You've lost almost all of your family, and yet all you can think of is your own interests." [36] (To Duke Nightray before killing him)

Trivia

Vincent feels that he can easily manipulate women, and frequently dates girls (such as Ada), but only does so if he feels it will benefit Gilbert.

Break often refers Vincent to a 'Sewer Rat'.

Apparently, as shown in an omake, he hates carrots.

In Retrace LXI: Demios, we can assume that Jun Mochizuki mistakenly stated that Vincent had been the one to poison Gilbert in order to dissuade any suspicion of him being the Head Hunter; despite the fact that Claude and Ernest had already been confirmed to have been the ones behind the poisoning of him.